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Katie Nolan, Johnny Nolan, Neeley Nolan and McScane are the protagonist featured in that novel. They are a poor family lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Katie and Johnny Nolan as a parents are figured by unintact family because Johnny Nolan is not a responsible husband. Meanwhile, Francie and Neeley as the
children of Katie and Johnny are the person who wants fight with their life. Both of them do not mind if they have to work to help their parents in fulfilling their
daily needs. And McScane is a new father of Francie and Neeley after their father has gone. McScane is a good man for their mother, Katie but it is difficult for
Francie and Neeley to accept the presence of McScane to be their father. However, McScane pretends because he loves Katie and her children.
d. Moral Message
Moral in literature usually reflects the authors view of life is concerned, and that is what want to be delivered to the reader. Kenny 1966: 89 states, story
is usually intended as a suggestion relating to certain moral teachings of a practical nature, which can be taken and interpreted through stories concerned by
the readers. Moral is a hint that had been given by the author on various matters relating to the problems of life, such as attitude, behavior, and social manners.
Moral messages are practical reasons clues that can be displayed or found directly in real life as it is shown also in the story through attitudes and behavior
of the characters. A work of fiction written by authors to offer a model of life that can be deal the author. Fiction contains a moral application in the attitudes and
behavior of the characters in accordance with his view of morality. Through stories, attitudes and behavior of the characters that the reader is expected to take
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a moral message that mandated or delivered by the author. Even the moral element of the message is really the underlying idea of writing a work, the idea
behind the creation of literature as a supporter supporting the message. Literary works of fiction always offers a moral message associated with the virtues of
humanity, fighting for their rights and human dignity.
This novelteaches the reader especially women to fight their dreams for showing that woman is not borned only for a wife but only can be able to be an
educated person. The moral messages that Smith wants to say for the reader is never give up on your dream whatever your life background. By having
education, a woman can be existanced of her environtment. This novel is trying to open and changes the women mindset about what struggles means. If you have
your talents and your efforts to get your dreams, you will get like as Francie has done.
2.2 Feminism
One important issue that emerged towards the end of the 20th century is gender. The gender issue has been discussed that enters every social analysis, the
subject of the discourse of the debate on social changes and also become the main topic of conversation on development and social change. The term gender was
originally developed as a social science analysis by Ann Oakley in1972 and Fakih in 1997, he thought genderregarded as a good analytical tool to understand the
problem of discrimination against women in general. Gender is a cultural concept, seeks to make a difference in terms of roles,
behavior, mentality and emotional characteristics between men and women is
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growing in society .
Inthe previous section have explained that the roots of gender inequality is the gender difference. In gender studies, there are two major theories
in the social sciences that gave birth to feminism, the flow of the status quo or functionalism and flow of the conflict. Feminist theory is the underlying research
authors to resolve the issues in the novel. Feminists do not only belong to women but to men or women who have awareness of the oppression and exploitation
experienced by women. But his achievements are not only limited to that alone,
but the existence of women also need to be developed and championed.
Steps in conducting research feminist literary criticism in a work of fiction, namely:
1 There must be a female character who plays the main character or a subordinate then associated with male figure;
2Look for the position of the characters in the community; 3 To find out the purpose of life, for example women aspire to the various ways
to develop themselves into independent human beings and unseen will be supported by the feminist movement. Thus women will elevate the status and
dignity to be level with the status and dignity of men, either in the family or in the community;
4 The behavior and character of women leaders from the description given directly from the author. Authors can also portray a female character as a
person who thirst for education or knowledge of diligent work outside the home environment, especially to supplement the family income, so that
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people can be recognized as someone who has their own identity without being associated with the position of the husband;
5 Pay attention to the establishment and the words of the woman figure. What people think, do, and say will provide much information about the characters.
Suppose a woman wishful to receive an adequate education to be able to help the family economy, then the figure has realized one goal is fighten by
feminist movement. Djajanegara 2000: 56 says that similarly dialogues involving many characters that would reveal the character and way of
thinking. The next step is to examine other figures, especially the male figure who has a relationship with a female character who is being observed.
Pursued ways not unlike the way portray female characters. Djajanegara revealed feminism always encourage women to develop themselves before
getting married. Women are encouraged to acquire knowledge as high as possible in order to afford an Independent without having to depend on
others, and he was able to achieve a level footing with the male position in society 2000: 56. In line with the above opinion, Betty Friedan does not
oppose the marriage. Women are not recommended to be single for the rest of his life. Feminism upholds moderate nature that enables women give birth
and care for the baby. Feminism moderate support women in carrying out the tasks of this nature. However, moderate feminism also recommends that the
first women to develop themselves to be able to live independently, both intellectually and economically, because of this ability will make him have
equal status with men, and will release itself from dependence on men.
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2.3 Existence